Stop the Stops
Empire Justice Center’s Police Reform Project promotes equity, antiracism, and social justice within established criminal justice systems such as law enforcement departments and institutions of pre-trial incarceration. To achieve these goals, Empire Justice Center partners with organizations, community groups, and individuals to understand the needs of communities; educates the public about their legal rights and systemic inequities; develops policy positions; engages in strategic communication with organizational leaders; lobbies to achieve greater fairness and equity in legislation; and engages in targeted litigation.
- “Our results indicate that police stops and search decisions suffer from persistent racial bias and point to the value of policy interventions to mitigate these disparities.” (A. Emma Pierson et al., A Large-Scale Analysis of Racial Disparities in Police Stops Across the United States, 4 NATURE & HUM. BEHAV. 736, 736 [2020]).
- From a California analysis in 2023: “In 2021, people who were perceived as Black were searched at 2.2 times the rate of people perceived as White. Overall, officers searched 6,622 more people perceived as Black than those perceived as White. In addition, those perceived to be Black adolescents between 15 to 17 years old were searched at nearly six times the rate of those perceived as White youth.” (Press Release, 2021, Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board.)
- From a North Carolina study analyzing data through 2016: Blacks were 63 percent more likely to be stopped even though, as a whole, they drive 16 percent less. Taking into account less time on the road, blacks were about 95 percent more likely to be stopped. Blacks were 115 percent more likely than whites to be searched in a traffic stop (5.05 percent for blacks, 2.35 percent for whites). Contraband was more likely to be found in searches of white drivers. (FRANK BAUMGARTNER, DEREK A. EPP, & KELSEY SHOUB, SUSPECT CITIZENS: WHAT 20 MILLION TRAFFIC STOPS TELL US ABOUT POLICING AND RACE 31 [2018]
We at Empire Justice believe that in order to reduce racial disparities in policing, New York must #StopTheStops. Empire Justice Center is working to end these racially disparate police practices in several ways.
Learn More
Our first step to #StopTheStops has been to create a preliminary report explaining why pretext stops are so harmful to individuals and communities.
The Preliminary Report:
- Explains the law of pretext stops;
- Reviews the studies that establish there are racial disparities in who gets stopped;
- Addresses the harms to communities and individuals within the communities in which these stops are conducted;
- Reviews whether there are benefits to a community when police engage in pretext stops;
- Discusses pretext stops in the Greater Rochester, NY area; and
- Reviews policies and laws implemented in other states, cities and communities to address the racial disparities in pretext stops.
- The goals of the preliminary report are to educate the public, develop support for legal and policy changes we seek, and obtain your input to guide us in our preparation of a second report to be issued later this year.
We recognize that even though you may have an interest in the subject, you may not have the time to read the full report.
Please also see an overview of the report in English or in Spanish.
New York’s Safe and Fair Traffic Enforcement (SAFTE) Coalition
New York’s Safe and Fair Traffic Enforcement (SAFTE) is a coalition committed to changing law in New York to end racial disparities in traffic enforcement and make our roads and communities safer.
Read our one-pager in English or in Spanish.
New Bill Aims to End Unfair Traffic Stops and Boost Safety
The Safe and Fair Traffic Enforcement Act (9840) targets racial disparities in low-level traffic stops while protecting motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians. It would bar stops for minor non-safety violations, certain warrants, and stops based solely on race or other minor infractions. The bill also strengthens transparency by requiring body cameras, informing people of their rights during searches, and collecting public data on stops.
Get Involved
Our comprehensive preliminary report is only the first step in our effort to address racial disparities in low level stops. In addition to our issuance of this report, we will be creating proposals to reduce or eliminate these racially disparate stops in New York. We want to hear from you. We want to hear your stories, gain the support of those who seek to promote antiracism in policing as we continue to examine and report on pretext stops, and develop recommendations for ending these practices in New York.
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Safe and Fair Traffic Enforcement (SAFTE) NY is a coalition committed to changing the law in New York to end racial disparities in traffic enforcement and make our road and communities safer. Read the one-pager for information on why this coalition is focused on traffic enforcement, what secondary stops do, and action we are taking.
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